Adaption: A hunger Games story
by E.A. Scott
Summary: Daniel lives in District 12 and will protect his little brother at any cost. But when Daniel gets picked as Tribute, what will happen to his Mentality. Especially since he's a pacifist. Please R&R


Adaption

I live in a place called Panem. It's not the best place in the world to live, but I seem to get by just enough to feed my little brother, Nathaniel. Nathaniel turned 12 two weeks ago. And that's an unlucky number in Panem, because now, you're eligible to compete in The Annual Hunger Games. Most of Panem dreads the sound of the games, except three districts. Those are the districts, 1, 2, and 4. The tributes selected from there are called career tributes. And no one, and I mean no one, wants to mess with a career. They're ruthless killing machines that will stop anyone or anything that gets in their way of winning. In exactly three hours time, a reaping to decide the tributes that will go to the 65th annual Hunger Games. My only wish is that Nathaniel nor I get picked, for we are both pacifists.

I watch from the window from my house as people go to the square where the reaping shall take place. Soon, I'll have to go out of my house and into the square too. But I don't want too, and neither does Nathaniel.

" Please don't make me go." Nathaniel says to me.

" We have too. I mean, you don't want to end up as an avox, do you?"

"No." he says.

"Then come on." I say as I motion him toward the door. When I open it, there are so many people walking to the square. It looks eerily similar to a mob though, which scares Nathaniel and I even more.

The walk is slow and long, but we manage to make it to the square. There is an unusual amount of peacekeepers in the square. It was probably because of the occasion.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the annual reaping for the 65th annual Hunger Games. Now may the odds be ever in your favor." The woman says. I recognize her voice and realize that the woman is Effie Trinket. She's infamous in many different districts, including, our district, district 12. No one can ever forgive her after what she did to our mayor. She had murdered him in cold blood to get to where she is now.

I watch as she reaches into the glass bowl and picks out a slit of paper and looks at it with pleasure.

"Ooh, it seems we have a male who has been picked first. Daniel Augustus Aegean." She says as she laughs.

My heart sinks as she utters those words. My lips quiver as if I'm about to cry. And then I realize, that I am about to cry as I feel a tear roll down the side of my cheek.

"Well come on then Daniel. You're not in a wheelchair, are you?" Effie says. Then finally, I come out of my hiding spot in the crowd and walk over to the stage, where Effie awaits me with a bone – chilling smile.

When I stare into the crowd, it feels like there are millions of people watching me, when there are only 200 people. I await the moment for Effie to pick a girl tribute so I can get away from everything and consume myself in misery. Finally, Effie has picked a girl.

"Ellemarie Fawkins?" Effie says in her annoying high-pitched voice. After a few minutes, Ellemarie came onto the stage. She looks like a girl I have seen at school before. But it doesn't matter because within minutes of the games starting, we'll both be dead.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, our tributes for the 65th annual Hunger Games!" Effie said expecting applause. But it was nothing but silence. Instead, the people of district 12 put their three middle fingers up to their lips and then show them to me.

I'm amazed by the sight, which is something the people of district 12 rarely do.

"Ugh. I hate these people." Effie says quietly but loud enough for us to hear her remark.

I just smile slightly.

"Well come on then." Effie says as she motions us off the stage and into these suspicious black limos. I had heard of these cars before, but thought that they were just lies that poor parents of district 12 told their children at night. But I was obviously wrong.

I get into the vehicle with slight fright but I quickly dismiss that dreaded feeling for it gives me an awful feeling in my stomach. The interior of the limo is covered in black. I look in the window and see the other tribute, Ellemarie Fawkins. The name echoes in my head. But not in frightening, but more or less in a good one. This feeling actually makes me glad for a while. But then Ellemarie catches a glimpse of me staring at her. I quickly turn my head away and I wind up being forced to stare at the very woman that fuels my hatred, Effie Trinket.

"Why do you hate me so much Daniel?" Effie asks me.

"You know exactly why – Effie." I hate the sound of her name.

"I do know one thing – you sure are hard to break. Especially for a pacifist." She says as she grins a devilish grin.

I just give her a disgusted grin.

" I can't wait til we get to the capitol." I say as a sigh of relief.

It takes a while, but we make it to the train that will take us to the heart of the capitol. Each district has its own specified cart. My district is in the very back of the train.

I get into the train quickly to avoid being seen by the other tributes. And it just so happens to be that the person that sits across from me is Effie. By now, I have had enough of her. So I move to the next seat on the far side of our cart, and I wind up sitting next to the person that I will be fighting to the death in the arena with – Ellemarie Fawkins.

"Hi." She says with a warm smile.

"You look pretty happy for someone that's sitting next to the one that they'll have to kill in a few weeks" I say sarcastically.

"I joke to get through the pain." She says.

"Well I guess that's one way to get through it." I say.

"Why do you hate Effie so much?" she asks me?

"Well, a few months ago, I witnessed Effie murder the mayor who also happened to be my uncle. And now that he's dead, my aunt is forced to watch my brother and I. And when I win these games, I'm going to take Nathaniel to our house in the Victor's Village." I say.

"Then I wish you the best of luck, Daniel Augustus Aegean." She says with a look that doesn't really define the attitude in which she says this.

"Thank you Ellemarie Fawkins." I say with a nice face on.

The conversation actually enlightens my feeling – for the time being anyway. Pretty soon, I am able to see the Capitol after our train passes through the treacherous mountain passage that is the only way to get in or out of the Capitol, besides air travel. I am amazed by the spectacle. The entire Capitol is lit up an aurora of colorful lights.

"It's breathtaking!" Ellemarie says also amazed by the sight.

"I know." I tell her in response.

"Where do you think the Games are going to take place?" She asks.

"I'm not sure." I say in response. Then my stomach starts to grumble. "I can't wait to eat." I say to her.

"Maybe it'll come in a few minutes." She says as I look at her disbelief.

"It's been five hours since we've gotten on the train." I say to her as she just shrugs her shoulders up and down.

"We're almost there." I almost whisper to myself.

When we arrive in the Capitol, I am relieved since the talk I had with Ellemarie annoyed me with talking all the way to the Capitol. I am now wishing that someone else was picked as a tribute instead of me. I just cannot wait to go into the games.


End file.
